Halfway through A-100

This weekend marks the halfway point for my A-100 class.  We've got 3 weeks under our belt and 3 weeks left to go.

The past three weeks have been amazing.  I've met and become friends with some pretty cool and interesting people.  Some of my classmates have blogs that I'd been following for quite some time.  I was quite excited to learn that I'd be in a class with her, and her, and her.  And then there are the others that I've gotten to know in class and then found their blogs - here and here.  There's also a fellow Californian here and a fellow foodie (who's been giving out some great recommendations) here.

The A-100 orientation team does a tremendous job.  Imagine taking a group 60-90 accomplished and competitive individuals from a variety of backgrounds and facilitating their introduction to the State Department and working for the Federal Government.  And then add in that one of the goals is to create a bond and trust amongst these varied individuals that will provide them with a solid foundation so that they can excel in this new lifestyle they're beginning.

It's a tall task and the orientation team pulls it off very well.  I came into this very excited about joining the Foreign Service and now, at the halfway point, I am even more excited about this new journey I'm taking.